Jake Price's Sunday Racing Tips For Dublin Racing Festival

Tip 1 - ARUNTOTHEQUEEN 0.5pts EW (5 Places)

Best odds of 35/1 at Paddy Power while publishing.

Jessie Harrington’s ARUNTOTHEQUEEN was as Listed winner as a Bumper performer, and although things haven’t quite worked out over hurdles so far, she has to be of interest running off a mark of 111.

Following that Gowran win in October 2024 she went straight over hurdles, and in hindsight it was a good run to finish in third place behind Blue Mosque (126). She picked up an injury at that stage and wasn’t seen for 326 days, but this season she was able to return as a Novice Hurdler despite having plenty of experience.

The last twice she has ran in decent races over 2m4f, but she doesn’t look to quite stay that far. This 2m2f trip should be ideal however, as she handled the Soft to Heavy conditions at Punchestown in November before not seeing out the distance. Even if she doesn’t win a competitive race like this then she has to be miles better than her mark of 111 purely based on Bumper form alone, and at a massive price I am willing to take the chance.

Tip 2 - BALLYFAD 1pt Win

Best odds of 10/3 at William Hill while publishing.

This is a competitive Novice Hurdle as you would expect, but I thought that BALLYFAD recorded a really nice piece of form on Boxing Day, and if he continues his natural profession then he surely should be going close in this Grade 1 contest.

Already a point-to-point and dual Bumper winner, he turned up to Leopardstown on the 26th December with a good reputation, but as an unknown quantity over hurdles. Despite being sent off a 7/4 shot however, he really took to his new job – and in the end he ran out an impressive 9.5 length winner over Leader D’Allier.

Considering the second has since won in impressive fashion himself by running out a 9 length winner at Punchestown, the form certainly looks robust, and with improvement sure to come this Gordon Elliott charge has a great chance of landing Grade 1 spoils in what has to be said is a pretty open race.

Tip 3 - ILE ATLANTIQUE 0.5pts EW (5 Places)

Best odds of 13/2 at Unibet while publishing.

This is clearly a competitive Handicap Chase, but I think a lot of people forget that ILE ATLANTIQUE is only an 8yo, and surely he is open to improvement now dropping down to Handicap company on ground that he is going to love.

This Tony Bloom horse has only officially raced once on heavy ground when bolting up by 19 lengths at Gowran for his Maiden Hurdle, but he clearly is a horse who relishes soft conditions as he easily won a Bumper here in 2022, was only beaten a neck in the 2024 Grade 1 Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle, and as a Novice Chaser last season he bolted up in his Beginners Chase at Navan when having Waterford Whispers 9 lengths behind, before he then won the Grade 2 Novice Chase at Navan last January – beating Firefox by 5 lengths

Such is his dependency on soft ground he was even sent off 11/4 for the Grade 1 Novice Chase at Fairyhouse in April on ‘Soft to Heavy” ground, but unfortunately he unseated at the third fence that day so we didn’t get to see anything like his true running.

The long and short of it is that this 8uo has plenty more to give over fences when he gets testing conditions like he will on Sunday, and the fact that he returned to form on New Year’s Day when second to Heart Wood (160) giving him 2lbs is a huge positive. A mark of 152 is no easy task, but he should be a class above these rivals in the conditions. Paul Townend doesn’t take a ride in the race, but Danny Mullins knows exactly what it takes to win around here.

Tip 4 – MURCIA 0.75pts EW (5 Places)

Best odds of 15/2 at bet365 while publishing.

I loved MURCIA going into last season, and she duly picked up her Grade 1 prize at Aintree in April – where she was gambled strongly into 11/4 before hacking up in the Grade 1 Anniversary Juvenile Hurdle by 6 lengths back to the Ante-Post County Hurdle favourite Live Conti (142).

She ran well on her seasonal reappearance when finishing in third place behind Talk The Talk, however, as she was attempting to give the Grade 1 favourite 6lbs at the weights, but in the end she settled for third place. The huge positive for Sunday, however, is the fact that Paul Townend takes up his only Handicap ride of the whole Dublin Racing Festival weekend, and as such this Willie Mullins Mare has to be a bet off her workable mark of 140.